Angled Ramp Shoulder for Nutrient Container Locking Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing closures for nutrient medium containers with perpendicularly oriented locking receptacles and shoulders lead to high error rates in automatic positioning systems, causing incorrect locking and contamination issues when handled by robot arms.

Innovation Solution

The shoulder of the locking receptacle features angled ramp surfaces and a threshold at the groove inlet, ensuring precise alignment and preventing accidental interlocking by requiring intentional force, combined with equidistantly arranged locking receptacles and pins for secure and reliable locking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the locking receptacle has a shoulder oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, then the locking structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but incorrect positioning occurs frequently during automatic positioning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The shoulder is modified by adding ramp surfaces that extend at an angle from the longitudinal axis, changing the geometric parameters of the shoulder from a perpendicular orientation to an angled configuration. This parameter change guides the locking part along a controlled path during positioning, preventing incorrect locking while maintaining manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The ramp surfaces act as an intermediary element between the locking part and the shoulder. Instead of direct contact causing misalignment, the ramp surfaces mediate the interaction by providing a guided transition path, ensuring correct alignment during automatic positioning operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the upper part can be easily positioned on the lower part, then automated handling is efficient, but accidental interlocking occurs causing contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation efficiencyVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The threshold element is positioned in advance to prevent accidental interlocking before it can occur. This preliminary protective measure blocks the locking part from entering the receptacle groove by mistake, while still allowing intentional positioning to proceed normally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical interaction is modified by introducing a threshold that requires deliberate force to overcome. This substitutes the simple contact-based locking with a controlled mechanical sequence where accidental contact is prevented, ensuring only intentional locking actions result in interlocking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9156594B2Closure for a nutrient medium container

Publication Date: 2015.10.13 SARTORIUS STEDIM BIOTECH GMBH

AI summary

The invention relates to closure, in particular for a nutrient medium container, wherein a lower part can be covered by an upper part, wherein the lower part and the upper part can be locked against each other by means of at least one locking receptacle and at least one locking part by rotating the lower part and the upper part about a longitudinal axis, and wherein the locking receptacle has a receptacle groove that is covered by a shoulder and that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, in which receptacle groove the locking part engages, wherein the shoulder has at least one ramp surface extending at an angle from the longitudinal axis on the outer face of the shoulder facing away from the receptacle groove.